St Andrews principal moves to Oxford

Maureen Ferrier

The principal of St Andrews University, Professor Louise Richardson, has been named the next Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

Professor Richardson has led St Andrews since January 2009 and will leave the post at the end of this year.

St Andrews’ senior governor Sir Ewan Brown informed staff and students of Professor Richardson’s nomination to the top job at Oxford, and that the search for her successor would start imminently.

“Louise Richardson has proved a splendid leader at St Andrews, to which she has made an outstanding contribution over the last seven years,” he said.

“The University Court of St Andrews will shortly begin a far-reaching international search for an academic leader of vision and ambition to help this remarkable community of scholars and students build on the considerable achievements of recent years.”

The Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, Sir Menzies Campbell, said: “The appointment of Louise Richardson is a proper recognition of her enormous contribution to higher education in the United Kingdom and particularly at St Andrews.

“I have no doubt that she will fulfil the duties and responsibilities of Vice-Chancellor at Oxford University with commitment, dedication and professionalism.”

In a message to St Andrews students and staff, Professor Richardson said she looked forward to the challenge of leading Oxford, but had tendered her resignation at St Andrews with “mixed emotions.

“My years as Principal of this extraordinary university have been the most rewarding and enjoyable of my professional life,” she said. “I will always feel enormously privileged to have had the opportunity to be a part of this magical place.”

The Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Lord Patten of Barnes, said that the appointment panel had been: “deeply impressed by Professor Richardson’s strong commitment to the educational and scholarly values which Oxford holds dear. Her distinguished record both as an educational leader and as an outstanding scholar provides an excellent basis for her to lead Oxford in the coming years.”